Ring-traveler machine



May 5, 1925. 1,536,280

, J. H. AVERY RING TRAVELER MACHINE Filed Feb. 5. 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 azzau cy May 5, 1925.

J. H. AVERY RINGTRAVELER MACHINE Filed Feb. 5. 1924 3 Sheets- Sheet 2 May 5, 1925,

J. H. AVERY RING TRAVELER MACHINE Filed Feb. 5. 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented May 5, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT'LOFLFICE.

.iAMEs H.,AYERY, or FRANKLIN, MASSACHUSETTS)ASSIGNOR TO PHILIP c.

i a wonrmor PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

WENT- RING-TRAVELER MACHINE.

Appl ca on flea February 5, i924.- Serial no. (590377.

To all whom it may concern: 7 p

Be it known that I, Janus AVERY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Franklin, county of Norfolk, Co-mmon Wealth of Massachusetts, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements inRing- Traveler Machines, of which the following is a specification.

Ill

, This invention relates to machines for forming ring travelers. For the purposes of this application I shall discuss my invention inits adaptation to" the formation of a ring traveler of theFhorseShoe type, comprising a pair of terminalfhorns and an intermediate connecting bow. It will be understood, however, that-such treatment is purely illustrative and in no waylimiting, and that the vertical type'of ring trav- Qeler may also be produced upon my ma chine. The term ring traveler as used herein is therefore to be construed broadly as meaning any traveler, whether for ring spinning or twisting, which travels about a The present machine, in general, is a development of thetraveler forming machine disclosed in theapplication of Philip C. VVentworth, Sen No. 510,919, to which reference is made as illustrative. Said machine was developed to produce the trav elers shown in the lVentworth Patents Nos.

1,41a,069,1,415-,070, 1,415,071, 1,4,15,072 and 1,415,0i'3,all granted 'May 9, 1922 and No. 1,461,059, granted July 10, 1923. This traveler is of standard type, but has a peculiar temper and is provided intermediate of its ends with one or more ventilating or cooling slots or openings. Such ,slotor opening may be readily andaccurately formed intermediate of the traveler ends in the larger sizes of travellers, but diificulty is experienced in the finer sizes on account of the limited amount of metal available for slotting. lnextremely fine sizes, as where the average count ranges from i 7000 to 25000 travelers per pound, this intermediate portion is actually so narrow as to be practically incapable of being accurately slotted.

In order therefore to obtain in the finer.

sizes of travelers the superior results which characterize the larger sizes of patented,

Wntworth travelers, it is necessary to diminish the metal intermediate of the traveler ends by some method other than slotng, According to my presen in ention, I propose t0 Bfi'ect this diminutionof metal by removing equal and opposite portions of thehsto ck intermediate of the traveler ends. This results in a traveler havingiterminal ends of uniform width and vthickness.

throughoutbut diminishing in width from said ends towards the center or intermediate tov connecting portion. Preferably,.the metal is removed a at eachflongitudinalf edge 01f Saul-intermediate connect:ng port on 1n the form of segments of a circle so as to avoid the formation of any pronounced angular edges which might interfere with the free passage of the thread or. yarnthereacross. This traveler. forms the .subject atter of the PhilipC. lventworth. Patent aNo. 1,512;

254, granted Oct. 21, 192 i. v

While particularly designed for produc ing the finer sizesof travelers, my machine is capable, however, of producing all the various [sizes and weights of travelers re}- qulred the trade. .The, production of such travelers in the complete range of sizes and weights required by the trade involves several d'ifiiculties, particularly in the oper ation of reducing the traveler intermediate of its ends. To be commercially practical,

uantity production must be possible, and 1n so far as maybe, such: production must be had with existing manufacturing equip In the commercial production of the old style, solid traveler, the accepted practice has been to form the travelerson standment and along the linesaof accepted, manard traveler forming machines from a con-- tinuous strip of stock of uniformiwidthand thickness throughout its extent. a The slots,

ting machine of the-fl llentworth application above-referred to, followed this stand ard practice and utilized existingstandard equipment, as does my present machine.

In my'p'resent machine, however, I remove equal opposite portions at each longitudinial edge of the strip and at'definitely spaced intervals throughout the length of the strip ,so that these cutaway portions will be located at exactly the center of the traveler when the strip is severed and the individual travelers bent to form. Inasmuch as the balanceof the traveler depends upon the exact centering of these cut-away portions, and any variation either in relative extent or location of the cut-outs both as to each other and as to the traveler body will destroy such balance, it is therefore of the utmost importance that the cut-outs be accurately located. The necessity of producing the travelers in all the widely varying sizes and weights required by the trade involves, moreover, a nicety of adjustment and timing of the various operating parts of the machine.

While these cut-outs are capable of being stamped out, experiments have shown that the stamping operation is apt to leave a burr which will catch the thread or yarn and make for imperfect spinning or twisting.- Moreover, with the extremely small sizes of travelers, stamping is not practicable on account of the narrowness of the traveler body.

In order to avoid these objections while still utilizing existing equipment and proven manufacturing methods for the production of a traveler of the type involved herein in all the varying sizes and thick nesses required by the trade, I preferably reduce opposite edges of the stock between the traveler ends by simultaneously bringing therea gainst, while the stock is stationary, a pair of oppositely disposed cutters of special design. These cutters not only are disposed opposite to each other but rotate at the same speed so as to prevent displacement of the stock while it is being cut. Moreover, their working faces areslightly concaved, so that the edges of the stock being milled will be rounded and hence will not offer any interference to the free travel of the thread or yarn thereover in the use of the travelers. The cutters mill out equal opposite amounts at the longitudinal edges of the stock at spaced intervals, whereupon "the stock is severed and the individual trav- 'the steel-1 feed mechanism.

elers bent to form. This avoids the formation of a burr, as occurs when the travelers are stamped, and inasmuch as exactly the same amount of metal is removed from each side of the strip, the traveler, when formed, will be properly balanced.

As contemplated herein, the milling cutters are arranged on either side of the stock feed way and are adapted to open during the feeding phase of the stock feed mecha- In order to avoid all possibility of the stock being displaced during the operation of the milling cutters, I preferably provide an intermittently effective stock clamp which operates in timed relation to the stock feed mechanism to clamp the stock during the non-feeding phase thereof when the millini cutters are operating and to release the stock on the feeding phase of the stock feed mechanism when the milling cutters are idle.

The construction and operation of my machine, together with a selected embodiment which well illustrates the principles involved and is in itself a form which I have found satisfactory under actual working conditions, are described and shown in the accompanying specification and drawings, and the characteristic features of novelty are particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Throughout the specification and drawings, like reference characters are correspondingly employed, and in the drawings:

Fig. l is a front view of a ring traveler forming machine of standard type equipped in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a rear view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a detail in front elevation.

is a section on the line 4.-4 of Fig. 3.

Figs. 4. and 4;" are sections on the lines 4- land 4:-- respectively, of Fig. 4, Fig. l showing the milling cutters rocked towards each other to mill the stock entered therebetween.

Fig. 5 is a detail view illustrating the double cam for simultaneously actuating both rocker arms for the milling cutters.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fig. and showing the milling cutters rocked away from each other to permit the stock to feed therebetween.

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are detail views of the timing clutch for the stock feed mechanism.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view of the strip of stock as oppositely notched at predetermined intervals and indicating in dotted lines the lines of severance for the formed travelers.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged detail view of a milling cutter at work and particularly showing the rounded edge produced on the stock by the concaved cutting face of the cutter, and

Fig. 11 is an end elevation of a formed traveler.

I have indicated generally at 1 the frame of a ring traveler forming machine of standard type. Journaled longitudinally of the frame 1 in suitable bearings is a cam shaft 2 which is provided at one end with fast and loose pulleys 3 and 4:, respectively, over which a driving belt is adapted to be shifted to connect and disconnect the drive. At its fit meeaa pposit nd he shaft 2 is p ided with a hand wheel 5 by means of which the shaft may be independently rotated for purpos s of adjustment.

The. stock is intermittently drawn in strip form from a suitable reel through an adjustable guideway 6 a pair of super: posed feed rolls 7 between which the stockis gripped. The rolls 7 are revolved at the same surface speed but oppositedirections by an intermittently operating drive mechanism actuated from a feed cam .8 fast on the shaft 2. This drive mechanism come prises a lever 9 (Fig. 2) WlllCll 1s fulcrumeol at 10 on the frame 1 and has its shorter arm provided with a cam roll 11 operating in the camplath of the cam 8. The longer arm of the lever 9 is slotted at 12 to receive a stud 13 on the arm of a rotatable friction clutch 14 of standard type, (Figs. 6, 7 and 8).

Fast 011 the arbor 15 of said clutch is a feed roll drive gear 16 which meshes with a drive gear 17 journaled thereabove in the frame 1'to transmit the rotation of the clutch 14 to the feed rolls 7 which are mountedon the same stubshaftsthatcarry the drive gears 16 and 17 (see Fig. 8 At its lower end, the lever is tensioned by a coil spring 18 which is fast thereto at one end and is anchored at its oppositeend at.

19to the frame 1. Thespring 18 returns the lever 9 to initial position after each actuation thereof by the cam 8, the effective throw of the lever being limited by an adjustable stop 2O,mounted in a bracket 21.

fixed on the frame 1. a 1

Mounted in advance of the feed rolls 7zon either side of the stock guideway 6 is a revolving millingcutter 22 of special design. The cutters 22 revolve at the same surface speed and in the same direction but inas: much as they come into contact with the stock from opposite sides, their cutting edges move in opposite directions so as to 1 reduce the liability of displacing the stock S when n'iilling and are mounted for simultaneousmovement towards and away from the stock in t med relat on to the stock feed mechanism, the timing being such that the cutters are brought against and mill the stockon the non-feeding phase of: the stock feed mechanism, and aremoved away from the stock on the feeding phase of said mechanism whereby to permit the milled stock to be fed forwardly towards the stock sever-v ing and traveler formlng nstrumentalit es. hen moved against-the stock, the revolving cutters millfrom the longitudinal edges thereof equal opposite portions or notches S; Fig. 9,-which lie at either side of'the intermediate connecting portion B of the ring traveler T when formed (see'Fig. 11).

Preferably the cutting faces of the milling cutters 22 are circumferentially concavedor .g1ooved as indicated at 23, Fig. 10,"so as cutters 22 (Fig. 4).

to round off the edges ot-the notches .S. This avoids formation of sharp cutting edges over which the thread or yarn might catch in the use of the traveler. Preferably, also, the notches S are disposed as segments of a .circle so as to avoid the formation of sharp angular thread catching edges. Inas-v much as the notches are equal and opposite,

thebalance of the traveler is preserved.

The in and out movement of the milling cutters may be accomplished in any suitable manner. As here shown; the cuttersf22are mounted in cutter blocks 24: (Figs. land .3)- which are hinged in spaced ears-25 formed on a relatively fixedcasting 26, and are adapted to be opened and closed in properly timed relation to the feed of the stock, by

a pair of spring-tensioned rocker arms 27;"

which are fulcrumed at 28 to a fixed cross piece 29 (Fig. 4.) and above their fulcrums are disposed for simultaneous actuation by a double cam 3031 fast on the camshaft 2.

The milling cutters are driven from the cam shaft 2 by a gear 32 splined tor-said shaft and meshing with a pinion 33 on a vertically disposed shaft 34 (Figs. 1, 3 and 4) journaledin the casting '26. Atits lower end the shaft 34:, is providedwith a gear meshing with a pair of pinions 361cm the upper ends of the arbors for the milling The ratio bet-ween the gears 35. and 36 is a two to one ratio wherebythe cutters are rotated at increased speed in relation to the speed of the shaft 2.

The-casting 26is ,slidable longitudinally of the machine tovary the spacement of the milled notches S. in the strip of stock ac: cording to the size and weight of travelerbeing produced. To this endythe cast-ing'26 is formed at its lower end as. a slide adapted to fitwithin a slideway 37 formed on the frame 1, and is adapted to be advanced and retracted by an adjusting screw 38, Figs. 1

and 2, which permits-a micrometric adjust, ment of the milling cutters longitudinally. The drive. gear 32. is splinedto the shaft 2 and is provided. with a split collar 39(Figs.

ice

1 and 2) within which is. engaged a drag- .arm 40 fast to the casting26. This avoids.

b. means of which the nuts may he turned;

the extensio of the levers 27 to, said nuts-J 1 s 1 ransm tting t e pressure f In order to avoid all possibility of displacement of the stock during the milling operation, I provide an overhead stock clamp which operates intermittently in timed relation to the stock feed and clamps the stock during the non-feeding phase while the cutters are at work and releases itwhen the cutters separate whereby to permit the stock to advance. This stock clamp consists of a headed plunger 46 1) which is journaled vertically in a suitable guideway 4-7 in the frame 1 and is actuated from the stock feed cam 8, said cam preferab-ly having a cam piece 48 fastened to one face thereof, whereby the plunger and stock feed mechanism operate in timed relation to each other. The cam piece 48 forces the plunger down upon the stock during the non-feeding phase of rotation of the stock feed cam 8, and in such movement compresses a coil spring 49 which acts to return the plunger to normal raised position when the cam piece e8 passes off the plunger in the feeding phase of rotation of the cam 8, thus permitting the stock to again feed forwardly.

From the feed rolls 7, the milled strip passes along a suitable guideway, until'its free end contacts a stop 50 adjustably mounted in the line of feed of the strip. Disposed in advance of the stop 50 is a horizontally reciprocating anvil 51 over which the stock is severed by the cooperation of a vertically reciprocating bending mechanism 52 and a stationary cutter 53. This severs the strip and the individual blanks are thereupon bent to form over the anvil 51 by a pair of oppositely disposed reciprocating bending dogs 54.

The mechanisms for reciprocating the anvil, bender 52 and bending dogs form no part of the present invention and are therefore not described herein, although illustrated generally in Figs. 1 and 2. It may be stated, however, that these several instrumentalities are all actuated from the cam shaft 2 in properly timed relation to each other and to the operation of the feed rolls and milling cutters.

Various modifications in the form and construction of my machine may obviously be resorted to if within the limits of the appended claims.

What I therefore claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination, an intermittent stock feed mechanism, a pair of oppositely disposed spaced milling cutters between which the stock is adapted to feed, and means operating in timed relation to the stock feed mechanism effective to initially open said cutters during the feeding phase of the stock feed mechanism to permit the stock to feed ,therebetween and effective to subsequently close said cutters to permit them to mill equal opposite portions from the longitudinal edges of the stock included therebetween during the non-feeding phase of the stock feed mechanism.

2. In combination, an intermittent stock feed mechanism, a pair of oppositely disposed spaced milling cutters between which the stock is adapted to feed, and means operating in timed relation to the stock feed mechanism effective to initially open said cutters during the feeding phase of the stock feed mechanism to permit the stock to feed therebetween and effective to subsequently close said cutters to permit them to mill equal opposite portions from the longitudinal edges of the stock included therebetween during the non-feeding phase of the stock feed mechanism, and an intermittently effective stock clamp operating in timed relation to the stock feed mechanism to clamp the stock during the non-feeding phase thereof.

3. In combination, an intermittent stock feed mechanism, a pair of oppositely disposed spaced milling cutters in advance of the stock feed mechanism and between which the stock is adapted to feed. means for revolving said cutters at the same speed. and means operating in timed relation to the stock feed mechanism effective to initially open said cutters during the feeding phase of the stock feed mechanism to permit the stock to feed therebetween and effective to subsequently close said cutters to permit them to mill equal opposite portions from the edges of the stock included therebetween during the non-feeding phase of the stock feed mechanism.

4:. In combination, an intermittent stock feed mechanism, a pair of oppositely disposed spaced milling cutters in advance of the stock feed mechanism and between which the stock is adapted to feed, means for revolving said cutters at the same speed, and means operating in timed relation to the stock feed mechanism effective to initially open said cutters during the feeding phase of the stock feed mechanism to permit the stock to feed therebetween and effective to subsequently close said cutters to permit them to mill equal opposite portions from the edges of the stock included therebetween during the non-feeding phase of the stock feed mechanism, and an intermittently effective stock clamp operating in timed relation to the stock feed mechanism to clamp the stock during the non-feeding phase thereof.

5. In combination, an intermittent stock feed mechanism, an adjustable support, a pair of oppositely disposed spaced milling cutters hinged to said support and between which the stock is adapted to feed, and means operating in timed relation to the stock feed mechanism effective to initially open said cutters' during the feeding. phase ofthe' stock feed mechanism to permitthe stock to feed therebetween and effective to subsequently close said cuttersto' permit them to mill equal opposite portions from the longitudinal edges of the stock included therebetween during the non-feeding phase of the stockfeed mechaiiism, and means for usting' said cutter support longitudinally. h 6. In combination, an intermittent stock feed mechanism, an adjustable support, a pair of oppositely disposed spaced milling cutters' hinge'd to said support and between which the stock is adapted to feed, and means operating in timed relation to the stock feed mechanism effective to initially open said cutters during the feeding phase of the stock feed mechanism to permit the stock to feed therebetween and eflective to subsequently close said cutters to permit them to mill equal opposite portions from the longitudinal edges of the stock included therebetween during the non-feeding phase of the stock feed mechanism and means for adjusting said cuttersupport longitudinally, and anintermittently effective stock clamp operating in timed relation to the stock feed mechanism to clamp the stock during the non-feeding phase thereof.

7. In a ring traveler machine, the combination with stock feed mechanism and stock bending and cutting mechanisms, of a stock milling mechanism operating in timed relation to said stock feed mechanism to remove equal opposite portions of the stock in the region of the traveler bow when'the traveler is formed, and means whereby said stock milling mechanism may be adjusted towards and from said bending and cutting mechanisms.

8. In a ring traveler machine, the combination with stock feed mechanism and stock bendingland cutting mechanisms, of a pair of hinged milling cutters operating in timed relation to said stock feed mechanism and effective to open and permit the stock to feed therebetween on the feeding phase of the stock feed mechanism and to close on the non-feeding phase of said mechanism and removeequal opposite portions of the longitudinal edges of the stock included therebetween and which cut-outs lie in the region of the traveler bow when the traveler is formed,

and means whereby said stock milling mechanism may be adjusted towards and from said bending and cutting mechanisms, and

means whereby said milling cutters may be adjusted laterally relative to each other.

9. In a ring traveler machine, the combination with a stock feed mechanism and stock bending and cutting mechanisms, of a stock removing mechanism effective to remove equal opposite portions of the stock in the region of the traveler how when the traveler is formed, and means for opening stock bending and cutting, mechanisms, of a stock removing mechanism operating in advance of said stock feed mechanism and ef fectiveto remove equal: opposite portions of the stock in the region of the traveler bow whenthe traveler is formed, and means for opening said stock removing mechanism on the feeding phase ofthe stock feed mechanism to permit the stock to enter and for closing said stock removing mechanism on the non-feeding phase of said mechanism to permit said portions of the stock to be removed. a

11. In combination, a cam shaft, a stock feed cam and a cutter actuating cam thereon, an I intermittently operating stock feed mechanism, a pair of oppositely disposed re-' volving spaced milling cutters between which the stock is adapted to feed, an operative connection from said feed cam to said stock feed mechanism for intermittently actuating said mechanism, means operated from said cutter-actuating cam in timed re lation to said stock feed mechanism for separating said cutters during the feeding phase of the stock feed mechanism to permit the stock to feed therebetween and for subsequently closing said cutters during the nonfeeding' phase of the stock feed mechanism to permit them to mill the opposite edges of the stock included therebetween, and means driven from said cam shaft for simultane-' ously revolving said cutters, and a stock clamp intermittently effective to clamp the stock during the non-feeding phase of the stock feed mechanism and torelease it during the feeding phase of such mechanism and actuated from said feed cam in timed relation to the stock feed.

12. In combination, a cam shaft, a stock feed cam and a cutter actuating cam thereon, an intermittently operating stock feed mechanism, a pair of oppositely disposed revolving spaced milling cutters between which the stock is adapted to feed, an operative connection from said feed cam to said stock feed mechanism for intermittently actuating said mechanism, means operated from said cutter-actuating cam in timed relation to said stock feed mechanism for separating said cutters during the feeding phase of the stock feed mechanism to permit the stock to feed therebetween and for subsequently clos- 3 ing said cutters during. the non-feeding phase of the stock feed mechanism to permit them to mill the opposite edges of the stock included therebetween, and means driven from said cam shaft for simultaneously revolving said cutters.

13. In combination, a cam shaft, a stock feed cam and a cutter actuating cam thereon, an intermittently operating stock feed mechanism, a cutter support longitudinally adjustable relative to said shaft, a pair of 0ppositely disposed revolving spaced milling cutters hinged to said support in advance of the'stock feed mechanism and between Which the stock is adapted to feed, an operative connection from said feed cam to said stock feed mechanism for intermittently actuating said mechanism, a pair of rocker arms connected to said cutters and simultaneously operated from said cutter-actuating cam in timed relation to said stock feed mechanism for separating said cutters during the feeda ing phase of the stock feed mechanism to tween, and a gear train driven from said cam shaft for revolving said cutters at the same surface speed.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of tWo Witnesses.

JAMES H. AVERY.

Witnesses:

PHILIP C. l/VEN'rWoRTH, M. C. THOMAS. 

